PHUKET, Thailand -- After growing his family's extensive pearl farming business, Phuket entrepreneur Amorn Intorncharoen decided his next venture would be to build a luxury yacht on Thailand's famous beach island.

Yachting enthusiasts enjoy a drink aboard the Free Bird at the annual Thailand International Boat Show in Phuket in January. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Government changes rules to lure high-spending sailors to its shores